After deserting their favorite Japanese restaurants for several months when the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear accident started in March, Hong Kong people have gradually rekindled their special love for Japanese food.
From high-end sushi bars to casual ramen shops, some 700 Japanese restaurants dot the city. Hong Kong, with a population of only about 7 million, had been the world's largest importer of Japanese food products for four consecutive years through 2010.
But in the immediate outbreak of the nuclear crisis, many of these restaurants were dealt a harsh blow as Hong Kong diners worried about radiation contamination in Japanese food. Some eateries reported business plummeting by up to 80 percent and a number were forced to close down, local food industry officials said.